1. Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relates to embedding digital information in multimedia files and particularly relates to method and system for recognizing and decoding hidden data embedded in the multimedia file in the mobile device. The embodiments herein more particularly relates to a method and system for providing services colligated with the hidden marker information to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally in the general advertisement delivery model adopted for television broadcasting, the advertising (images) are sent unidirectional to the television receivers by the television stations for viewing the images by the users. Furthermore, it is well known that advertising images are broadcasted in the intervals between the regular programs. Therefore, it is important for an advertiser to sponsor the programs that are likely to be viewed by most people so that the peoples viewing the program may view the advertisements displayed between the intervals and purchase the class of products displayed in the advertised images.
A growing number of television content sources enable interactive television. When operational, interactive television provides useful e-commerce, advertising, and information capabilities to viewers. One mechanism for interactivity typically involves the insertion of information or data in hidden portions of a multimedia signal. Modern analog/digital set top boxes or other client terminals can decode these signals to obtain the trigger information, and with the appropriate enabling software, convert the trigger information into a rich interactive experience for the viewer.
However, typical interactive television systems leave the interactive experience under the exclusive control of content providers. The user has limited opportunity to customize or enhance the viewing experience. In other words, because the content providers are typically the parties that provide and encode the multimedia information into the television signals, the MSO's role is often reduced to simply relaying the television signals to viewers without any modification or customization.
In addition, due to the embedded nature of the multimedia information, only the set top box has the capability to access and process the hidden information. This is inconvenient to viewers that wish to view and or otherwise have an interactive experience via use of devices other than the set top box and television. These ancillary devices includes a personal computer (PC), handheld display device, a mobile devices companion set top boxes, or other client terminals different from the set top box. Ancillary devices that are connected to the Internet, through a cable modem for instance, cannot decode the hidden information unless they have both the software and hardware compatibility.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for providing a method and system for recognizing hidden information embedded within a multimedia file in a user device. There is also a need for a method and system which provides a plurality of services/tasks to the user based on the recognized hidden information. There is also a need for a method and system which enables the user to perform a plurality of customizable functionalities on the services based on the user preferences.
The abovementioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.